"All I Have" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002).
"All I Have" samples "Very Special" by Debra Laws, who later filed a lawsuit in 2003 against Sony Music Entertainment for "misappropriating her voice" in the song and her name in the credits. The song is a midtempo R&B and hip-hop ballad, about moving on after a breakup. It received favorable reviews from music critics who applauded the chemistry between Lopez and LL Cool J. "All I Have" also samples the "baby don't go" verse from the Joe single "Stutter".
The song was a success on the charts, reaching number one in the United States (becoming Lopez's last number one as of ) and in New Zealand, and it entered the top 10 in several countries. After the success of "All I Have" with LL Cool J, the track was included on the re-issue of his album 10. The song was ranked as the 15th-most-successful song on the Billboard Hot 100 of 2003 and in 2011, Billboard named the song the 34th Biggest Duet of All Time. Lopez named her 2016 Las Vegas Residency Show, All I Have, after the song.
Background and release
On October 19, 2002, American rapper LL Cool J revealed that he had just recorded a song for Lopez's then-upcoming album two days prior, saying: "We did a new song for her album. Well it's actually going to be her next single, I think – it's a lot of fun, a lot of fun." He stated that, "It's got like a mid-tempo beat, pretty melody, you know what I'm saying. I'm rapping, she's singing. We go back and forth with stuff. It's kind of cool, it's fly."
Initially, Lopez did not want "All I Have" to be released as a single, as she believed it was too musically similar to her previous singles such as "Ain't It Funny" and "I'm Real"; she felt like she was "visiting old territory". "Those tracks were like a different era for me, and I didn't want people to perceive it like I'm just trying to capitalize on the same thing. But the record company was like, 'Who cares what they think, those are hits mama!'". Lopez, who said she "calls the shots", eventually agreed.
The song was officially sent to urban radio in the United States on December 14, 2002, as the second single from This Is Me... Then. It was later released on March 10, 2003, in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Composition
"All I Have" was written by Lopez, James Todd Smith, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, Ron G, and Dave McPherson while production was handled by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and McPherson. Recorded at The Hit Factory in New York City, the song was originally titled "I'm Good" and heavily samples Debra Laws's song "Very Special", written by Lisa Peters and William Jeffrey. Featuring LL Cool J, "All I Have" is a midtempo R&B and hip hop ballad about moving on after a break up. On the track, Lopez decides to end her relationship due to her lover's infidelity, while LL Cool J attempts to "make up" with her.
Critical response
MTV observed the song to conjure up her own public split with P. Diddy. Amy Sciarretto of PopCrush characterized Lopez's vocals as "cooed" and found the song to have a "classic feel", with LL Cool J heard rapping, grunting and pleading "Baby don't go" over a "subtle" urban beat. Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly praised LL Cool J as being a "high-spirited guest" on the song, while Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that both "playfully interpolate Debra and Ronnie Laws' 'Very Special'." About.com's Bill Lamb wrote, "There is a relaxed, charming elegance here that sounds timeless." Sam Lansky of MTV Buzzworthy described the duet as "icy-cool". Erika Ramirez of Vibe wrote that the song "deftly conceals Lopez's whispery sighs, but she still generates heat with partner LL on this effervescent collabo".